...
It was a quiet afternoon. The sun invaded the environment, doing its efforts to conceal the ice and wind, who stubbornly defied the skies' emperor.
So many times that had been his fortress. His never ending source of questions and answers. The kind of solitude that calmed his mind, the restless silence that soothed his temper. The Great Four were wise to leave such a sanctuary behind. Wise was Dumbledore to understand its misteries and make sure that this room would stand the tests of time.
Strings... so many strings. In different positions, kept in different chambers... meant for only one purpose. To erase mischevious and traitorous thoughts from the human mind. To make them laugh and cry, to show the beauty that eyes simply can't see. The world that hides in melodies... the passionate act of bewitching all human senses with accords... that chapel was sacred. So were those carefully placed instruments... he was alone again. But this time... he wasn't lonely.
Anxious hands seeked for a blank sheet covered in dust. The quick pull revealed a magnificent piano, crafter for years to its perfection. The wood was warm and clean, despite of the cold outside and the dust that reflected his footsteps on the ground. It teased him... patiently, tentatively.
Before a word was said or a move was made, the wooden "hood" lifted itself. The thin, ghost-like strings revealed a sea of reflections. It was almost like staring at the calm surface of a lake. Nervously tied and fastened, they were wild beauties: required care, attention... perfectionism.
Avoiding intruders' eyes and comments, he had learned to play at his youth. Whenever the house was empty... whenever his relatives were too busy somewhere else... at any moment his cousin's greasy and stumbled fingers gave the patient instrument a rest, he had studied. He learned the methods and timing. He paced his breathing and sharpened his speed. As the time passed, his technique improved. His shoulders were loose as the notes formed circles around his head, filling the house, filling the world. Much like in his drawings, he was finding peace.
That moment of memories brought his need back. He sat down and looked at the keys. Perfectly balanced, weightless. His finger tips reached for their usual places... he closed his eyes.
The melody began quiet. That song... he heard it so many times it was hard to tell if it was engraved on his brain or his hands. Quickly enough, the accords began to grow, and the romantic melody spread along the nearest halls. He didn't mind: no rules were being broken, no one could say a thing about it. All the disguises, the betrayals, the suspects... all gone. So what if no one believed? So what if he was closer to loneliness than anyone else? That moment... couldn't be pushed away from him.
A group of young people followed different paths two corridors away from him: and a single girl, completely immersed in her thoughts, suddenly woke up to the melody that almost caused her to sing along. A tune that trespassed any boundaries and rules. She knew the music's source. And sure enough... her heart knew the artist... a concept he never claimed.
"A heart's humility is the greatest felicity". Who tought him that was now far away, but the saying was still meaningful to him. His talents (if he had any) were achiavable for anyone with the will to try. There was nothing great about his past or his present. Life is what you make of it... he only hoped to do his best.
The quiet footsteps, so gentle they barely touched the floor, led the girl to that door. Behind it, an enchanter that chose privacy instead of noisy listeners. That was a personal moment, she could tell... but there was a need burning in her mind, something that should be fulfilled. Her hand reached for the doorknob. Silently, she walked in, positioning herself aside three violins and a cello waiting for a quartet that was yet to be found...
So immersed in the song, he took a minute more to realize he wasn't alone... truth be said, it was something in the air. A different perfume, irresistible, undeniable. The last "basso profondo" was reached. The higher keys concluded a tale of hidden dreams and hopes.
He lifted his head. Their eyes met. And though he wanted to get up and leave as fast as his legs could carry him, he didn't. That was the last person he wanted to see at that second... and at the same time, she was the only one truly allowed to hear that music. To understand what he meant with it.
As for her... she knew. In every cell of her body, mesmerized by sounds that she could almost touch, she knew. Her lips were suddenly parted, and the most beautiful smile that Nature could ever conceive was shown. Almost as a reflex... he smiled too. And the sudden silence said more about those two souls than a thousand years of conversation would ever do.
WRITER'S NOTE: I'll leave this one the way it is. I just needed to get it out of my system. I'll leave the task to name the characters as you wish. It's just music... brings out the best of us. Hope it means something to all of you.
It was a quiet afternoon. The sun invaded the environment, doing its efforts to conceal the ice and wind, who stubbornly defied the skies' emperor.
So many times that had been his fortress. His never ending source of questions and answers. The kind of solitude that calmed his mind, the restless silence that soothed his temper. The Great Four were wise to leave such a sanctuary behind. Wise was Dumbledore to understand its misteries and make sure that this room would stand the tests of time.
Strings... so many strings. In different positions, kept in different chambers... meant for only one purpose. To erase mischevious and traitorous thoughts from the human mind. To make them laugh and cry, to show the beauty that eyes simply can't see. The world that hides in melodies... the passionate act of bewitching all human senses with accords... that chapel was sacred. So were those carefully placed instruments... he was alone again. But this time... he wasn't lonely.
Anxious hands seeked for a blank sheet covered in dust. The quick pull revealed a magnificent piano, crafter for years to its perfection. The wood was warm and clean, despite of the cold outside and the dust that reflected his footsteps on the ground. It teased him... patiently, tentatively.
Before a word was said or a move was made, the wooden "hood" lifted itself. The thin, ghost-like strings revealed a sea of reflections. It was almost like staring at the calm surface of a lake. Nervously tied and fastened, they were wild beauties: required care, attention... perfectionism.
Avoiding intruders' eyes and comments, he had learned to play at his youth. Whenever the house was empty... whenever his relatives were too busy somewhere else... at any moment his cousin's greasy and stumbled fingers gave the patient instrument a rest, he had studied. He learned the methods and timing. He paced his breathing and sharpened his speed. As the time passed, his technique improved. His shoulders were loose as the notes formed circles around his head, filling the house, filling the world. Much like in his drawings, he was finding peace.
That moment of memories brought his need back. He sat down and looked at the keys. Perfectly balanced, weightless. His finger tips reached for their usual places... he closed his eyes.
The melody began quiet. That song... he heard it so many times it was hard to tell if it was engraved on his brain or his hands. Quickly enough, the accords began to grow, and the romantic melody spread along the nearest halls. He didn't mind: no rules were being broken, no one could say a thing about it. All the disguises, the betrayals, the suspects... all gone. So what if no one believed? So what if he was closer to loneliness than anyone else? That moment... couldn't be pushed away from him.
A group of young people followed different paths two corridors away from him: and a single girl, completely immersed in her thoughts, suddenly woke up to the melody that almost caused her to sing along. A tune that trespassed any boundaries and rules. She knew the music's source. And sure enough... her heart knew the artist... a concept he never claimed.
"A heart's humility is the greatest felicity". Who tought him that was now far away, but the saying was still meaningful to him. His talents (if he had any) were achiavable for anyone with the will to try. There was nothing great about his past or his present. Life is what you make of it... he only hoped to do his best.
The quiet footsteps, so gentle they barely touched the floor, led the girl to that door. Behind it, an enchanter that chose privacy instead of noisy listeners. That was a personal moment, she could tell... but there was a need burning in her mind, something that should be fulfilled. Her hand reached for the doorknob. Silently, she walked in, positioning herself aside three violins and a cello waiting for a quartet that was yet to be found...
So immersed in the song, he took a minute more to realize he wasn't alone... truth be said, it was something in the air. A different perfume, irresistible, undeniable. The last "basso profondo" was reached. The higher keys concluded a tale of hidden dreams and hopes.
He lifted his head. Their eyes met. And though he wanted to get up and leave as fast as his legs could carry him, he didn't. That was the last person he wanted to see at that second... and at the same time, she was the only one truly allowed to hear that music. To understand what he meant with it.
As for her... she knew. In every cell of her body, mesmerized by sounds that she could almost touch, she knew. Her lips were suddenly parted, and the most beautiful smile that Nature could ever conceive was shown. Almost as a reflex... he smiled too. And the sudden silence said more about those two souls than a thousand years of conversation would ever do.
WRITER'S NOTE: I'll leave this one the way it is. I just needed to get it out of my system. I'll leave the task to name the characters as you wish. It's just music... brings out the best of us. Hope it means something to all of you.